Wed 1 February 2012 10.00 am – 1.30 pm, Ashbourne
Do you have an interest in local health and social care issues? Do you work or volunteer with a local group which provides health or social care activities? Do you care about the health and wellbeing of your local community? Then these meetings are for you!
The Southern Derbyshire Health & Social Care Forum covers the four Derbyshire Districts of Amber Valley, Derbyshire Dales, Erewash and South Derbyshire. The meetings are held quarterly and the Districts take turns to host them.
The meetings provide an important opportunity for representatives from local voluntary and community groups to discuss health and social care issues and influence service planning with statutory agencies, such as Derbyshire County Council and NHS Derbyshire County.
The next meeting will be on Wednesday 1st February 2012 at St Oswald’s Church Hall in Ashbourne from 10am until 1.30pm including free light refreshments and lunch. Group representatives from the South Derbyshire area will be most welcome.
At the meeting on 1st February, officers from Derbyshire County Council will be there to talk about setting up HealthWatch which from April 2013 will replace the Local Involvement Networks and be the local consumer champion for patients, service users and the public. They are keen to gather the views of local people and to explore how HealthWatch might look in Derbyshire.
There will also be a presentation and discussion about how Derbyshire County Council intends to support people to continue living independent, healthy and fulfilled lives in their own homes for as long as possible. Part of this plan includes setting up a network of groups and organisations who provide befriending type services, including lunch clubs and other social activities, for older and vulnerable people. This is to help ensure that everyone in Derbyshire who needs it has access to a quality service. South Derbyshire CVS has been chosen by Derbyshire County Council to lead this work and there will be a presentation and discussion about how they intend to do this.
If you have any queries, would like to attend the Forum meeting in Ashbourne or would like to receive information about future meetings then please contact Pam Wood, Community Development Officer at South Derbyshire CVS on 01283 219761 or email pamw@sdcvs.org.uk